Twenty Cups of Cocoa
by bibliophileemily
Summary: Throughout Emma's time in Storybrooke, different moments, each involving a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon, subtly change her and the people around her until she finds true happiness. Emma-centric. Gen fic. No true pairings.
1. Henry

He watched the clock all night, and when it finally moved to 8:16, the widest smile broke out over his face. She stayed. She was still here. He went to bed happy for the first time in weeks.

The next morning, he got up extra early and got away from his mom so he could make a stop on the way to school. He reached the diner just as it opened, sat down, and carefully counted out enough money to buy a hot chocolate.

"Here, Ruby," he said, giving her just enough to cover the cost of the beverage plus a quarter extra as a tip. "You need to give Emma some hot chocolate when she comes down here."

"OK, Henry, whatever you want."

"Oh, and you have to put cinnamon in it."

Ruby quirked an eyebrow. "Cinnamon?"

"Yeah. She'll like it. You'll see."

When Emma came down at last, he sat quietly in his chair and waited for her to figure out the cocoa was from him. Instead, she thought it was from Graham. Henry mentally made a note to keep an eye on the Sheriff (that's my mom, back off), and piped up.

"I did," he chirped, delighting in Emma's surprise. "I like cinnamon too."

And just like that, he had the opening he needed. Operation Cobra was about to gain one more member.


	2. Sean & Ashley

She came back to the hospital once to visit Ashley after the baby was born. Alexandra was adorable, and, even though she was plenty busy getting to know her own son, Emma wanted to check up on the new mom and see the bundle of joy up close.

She was not expecting to run into the baby's father in the lobby.

"Sean? You're…"

"I'm back with Ashley," he said sheepishly.

"Oh." Emma was taken aback. "And you're going to support her?"

"Yeah. I know better now," he explained. "I was wrong to leave her in the lurch. I need to take responsibility and be there for her. For my daughter."

Emma's heart went out to the young man. "That's really admirable for someone your age." She clapped a hand on his shoulder. "But it's gonna be tough. Harder than you'd ever believe. You think you can do it?"

Sean nodded, and Emma smiled at him.

They went in together to visit. Ashley was desperately craving coffee, so Sean made a quick run to the hospital cafeteria. When he returned, he had three cups.

"Coffee for you, cider for me, and Emma…" He handed her a cup of hot chocolate; there were cinnamon candy hearts floating inside it.

"I heard you like cinnamon in your cocoa. So, this is…a thank you. For everything."

Emma can't help but smile at their thoughtfulness. "No problem."

The cocoa was gross, but the gesture kept her warm the rest of the night.


	3. Graham

He only bought her a drink once.

They had just finished taking down the caution tape around the collapsed mine shaft, and it was freezing outside.

"Come on," he'd said. "I'll buy you a drink."

"I'm not sure if that's appropriate behavior for when we're on the job."

"I meant something like coffee." And for a minute, Emma felt a small hope inside of her die.

They wound up in the diner; Emma was shivering so badly that Graham unceremoniously dropped his coat around her shoulders.

"I don't need—" she began, but Ruby came over and asked, "What can I get you?" before Emma could finish her sentence.

"A coffee and…" Graham looked over at Emma. "What do you want?"

"Um, I'll have some cocoa."

Ruby flounced off to make their drinks, and Emma slid into a booth across from Graham.

"How are you liking the job so far?"

"I'd like it a lot better if the mayor wasn't looking at me like I'm single-handedly responsible for everything that goes wrong in this town." She snuggled further into Graham's coat, finally starting to warm up, as Ruby brought out their drinks.

"You drink your chocolate with cinnamon?" Graham asked.

"Mm-hm."

"I'll remember that."

The next morning, Emma was surprised but pleased to see that the sheriff's station was stocked with instant hot chocolate packets and a cinnamon shaker.


	4. Archie

Emma stomped into Granny's, fully intending to get a cup of coffee to go as she finished her rounds.

No. Screw that. She wasn't going to go back to the station now that she knew what Graham was really doing on his "night shift."

In a fury, she turned around to storm back out of the diner and ran smack into Archie.

"Emma!" he said in surprise.

"Sorry, Archie, didn't see you," she muttered as she sidestepped him, just trying to get past him and back into her bug and back to Mary Margaret's place so she could sleep and forget about what she knew.

"Wait, Emma…" Archie's voice seemed genuinely concerned; she sighed and turned back around.

"Yeah?"

"Are you OK?"

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Do you…do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't need therapy, Archie," she sighed.

"No, not therapy. Just…as a friend." There's almost a pleading look in her eyes, and for a moment, Emma wondered if he was as desperate for company as she was sometimes.

"Not really. But I do want some cocoa."

They sat together at the bar, Emma with her cocoa, Archie with a glass of milk. They didn't say anything for a while, just enjoying their drinks when Archie broke the silence.

"You know, I've been meaning to thank you, Emma. You, um, really inspired me the other day."

"I did?"

"Yeah…I'm not going to let Regina intimidate me anymore," he continued as he put a trembling hand on hers. "You were right; I should've listened to my conscience."

For a moment, Emma sat there, confused, before she recognized the touch of his hand and the too-earnest look on his face. Realization struck her, and she winced, pulling her hand away.

"Oh, Archie…I've gotta go." She dug out her wallet and waved Ruby over.

"Emma, wait." Again, he touched her arm. "Let me. Just as a thank you."

Emma frowned; she hated doing this. "I'm sorry."

Archie forced himself to smile. "It's OK."

Once she left, he ordered another drink, this time brandy. He knew he wasn't going to get a chance to buy Emma a drink again.


	5. Mary Margaret

Emma came back in the middle of the night, roaring drunk and foul-mouthed, forcing her roommate out of bed to care for her. Mary Margaret took off Emma's shoes and put her to bed like a child, murmuring soothing words while trying to quiet her down. If she had paused to think about it, she would have been struck by the ridiculousness of the situation, but Mary Margaret was too focused on getting Emma back to sleep before she could go back to bed herself.

An hour later, Emma woke her up.

"Mary Margaret?"

"What is it?" she said; as she looked blearily at Emma, she noticed the tear stains on Emma's cheeks. "What's wrong?"

Emma's voice caught in her throat. "Graham's dead."

"Oh…Emma, you're drunk."

"No…I'm not. I mean, I am." The words tumbled too fast out of Emma's mouth and ran together. "He's really dead. That's why I'm back so late…I had to take him to the morgue and…" She suddenly dissolved into tears, leaving Mary Margaret with little else to do but rub her friend's back.

After Emma had calmed down a bit, Mary Margaret made her a mug of hot cocoa and put it on the table in front of her.

"Drink that, and talk when you're ready."

Emma obeyed; in between sips, she told Mary Margaret everything: about Graham and the wolf and the graveyard, about Regina punching her and her stupid threats, about the kiss and all the horrible, horrible memories afterward. She talked for what felt like hours until she finished her cocoa and fell asleep right there at the table. Mary Margaret stayed awake; until that moment, she hadn't realized it was possible to feel another person's pain so strongly.

In the weeks that followed, Emma didn't leave the apartment much. Every night, Mary Margaret silently made two mugs of cocoa, and every night, one cup was left untouched. She wasn't expecting bonding moments or hugs, but the need to be there for Emma was overwhelming at times.

Then one night, as Mary Margaret set down the cup of cocoa, Emma took it and held it between her hands.

"I saw Henry today."

And somehow, she knew everything was going to be OK.


	6. Dr Whale

It was her first time back at Granny's since Graham had died. Sitting at the bar was difficult; there were too many memories in this place.

She took a bite of her steak when Ruby set a hot chocolate on the counter.

"Thanks, but…I didn't order this."

Ruby's face was tight. "It seems you have an admirer."

And that's too fresh, too soon, too painful. Emma shut her eyes, trying to force her feelings back inside.

"Who sent this, Ruby?"

"He doesn't—"

"_Who_?"

Ruby made a face. "Dr. Whale."

"But…he was with Mary Margaret…" Emma turned around to see him leering at her from across the diner.

She didn't drink that cup of cocoa; she poured on his head instead.


	7. Michael, Ava, & Nicholas

She was just picking up a few things at the grocery store when she saw the twins in the checkout line.

"Emma!" Ava shouted as she and Nicholas ran over and hugged her.

"Oh, hey! Good to see you're doing well…" She noted that both kids looked much happier and healthier, although Nicholas's shirt was inside out and Ava had jam smudged on her face.

"Kids! Hold up!" someone called after them. "Don't bother that…oh." Michael stopped, looking at Emma over the belt. It was loaded with groceries, the kinds of foods only a parent would buy; it was clear Michael was used to just grabbing the basics that fit in a hand basket.

"Looks like you're off to a good start," Emma said as she looked over the groceries.

"Well, we had to get everything on the list," he said, running his hand over his chin, "and maybe a few things that weren't on it."

"Did you remember to get hot chocolate, Dad?" Ava asked.

Michael's face fell. "What aisle is that on?"

His bewildered expression spurred Emma into action. "Hold mine; I'll go get you some."

She ran down to the beverage aisle and grabbed the box of packets, then, after a brief hesitation, stopped by the baking aisle and grabbed a jar of cinnamon sticks.

As she got back to the checkout stand, the checker waved her through.

"But I haven't…"

"Mr. Tillman paid for your items, Sheriff."

Emma looked over at Michael, one hand pushing the cart, the other holding Nicholas's hand. He looked back at her and mouthed "thank you."

Every time Emma made herself a cup of cocoa from that pack, she felt a tug on her heart for that family she'd managed to reunite.


	8. Kathryn

This was an extremely awkward meeting. Emma forced her face into a pleasant demeanor as Kathryn made polite small talk with her at the diner.

I've got to stop coming here so often, Emma thought before Kathryn began to cry.

"Oh…oh, God, Kathryn, what's wrong?"

"It's David," Kathryn sighed, and Emma immediately wished she hadn't asked. "I keep trying to reach him, but…" She took a shuddering breath. "Emma, can I confide in you?"

Emma wanted to say anything but yes, but Kathryn's eyes are so desperate that she agreed without thinking.

"I'm late." She didn't even have to explain; women always understand what those two words meant. For a moment, Emma was lost in a memory of her own realization; she remembered taking that pregnancy test as if it had happened yesterday, not eleven years ago.

"Have you…" She couldn't finish the question she really wanted to ask. "…taken a test yet?"

"No. Regina's going to meet me here; we're going shopping together, and I'll get it then."

"Well," Emma was eager to end the conversation and be on her way. "Be sure to drink a lot of water; you'll need it."

Kathryn laughed, and Emma felt a pang of sympathy for her. It wasn't her fault David didn't remember things right or love her like he should.

"Care to drink a round with me? I'd love some jasmine tea right now."

"I don't…I'm not really a tea person."

"Coffee? Cocoa? It's on me. Just…stay with me until Regina gets here." She looked down at her hands, twisted her wedding ring. "I don't want to be alone right now."

Emma sat with her and drank one mug of cocoa until she saw Regina heading towards the diner; as she left, the drink sat in the bottom of her stomach, heavy and thick like guilt.


	9. Sidney

Sidney was already at the bar that morning when Emma came in, hair ruffled and bags under her eyes. She sat at the bar next to him and ordered a pastrami sandwich to go and a hot chocolate before putting her head on the counter and letting out an aggravated sigh.

"Emma? What's going on?" Sidney asked.

"Mr. Gold," Emma groaned. "Went crazy last night…almost beat a man to death. Kept me up all night being difficult about his paperwork. Did you know his middle name is 'Ulysses'?"

"Really?" Sidney digested that information, then gave Emma a reproachful look. "So why didn't you call me last night?"

Emma frowned and took a sip of her cocoa. "Why would I call you? I was busy all night."

"Because I'm your ally," Sidney insisted. "I could've helped you."

"You could've helped me dig up information on Mr. Gold?" Emma asked skeptically. "Come on, Sidney, I bet you don't even know where he lives."

"Maybe not, but how can I know if you won't trust me?"

Emma sighed.

"OK, Sidney, let's get something straight here: you're my ally. I get that, and I really do appreciate it." She put her hand on his arm. "But you're not my deputy."

Ruby brought her sandwich out in a brown paper bag, and Emma stood up to leave.

"I'll call you when I need you, OK?" she said.

As she left the diner, Sidney smiled to himself as he took another sip of his drink. She said 'when,' not 'if.'

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I am not revealing what I've named Mr. Gold in this story; the only thing you need to know is that it starts with an "A."


	10. Jim

Emma woke up at 11:32 P.M. to the buzzing of the sheriff cell phone. She groggily pulled herself out of bed and checked the phone: six missed calls.

"Great..."

She listened to the first message and nearly dropped the phone. A car crash, just outside the town borders, and according to the message, less than ten minutes ago. Pulling her jacket and boots on, she walked out the door, already dialing the caller back.

Jim sat shaken in the police station. Emma plunked down mugs of instant cocoa on the table; she was so tired that she'd added cinnamon to both.

"So what happened? Start from the beginning." She took a long drink and instantly felt a little better.

"The very beginning?" Jim looked confused. "I bumped into her at school. She was really angry."

"You met before?"

"Not really, just when she bumped into me." He took a sip of his cocoa, made a face, and set the cup down at a distance. "Anyway, she didn't even notice me. She ran right to Mary Margaret and slapped her before she stormed out."

Emma forced herself to be patient. "OK, how did you first come across the accident?"

"I was headed to a sports seminar in Boston when I saw a car in a ditch on the side of the road. The airbag was out, and all the doors were open."

"Did you look for a body?"

Jim shrugged. "Couldn't find one. No footprints either."

Emma finished her cocoa and sighed; the sky outside was already starting to lighten.

"Well, thanks very much for your report, Jim. I'll be getting on the case right away."

"No problem," he said, shaking her hand. "And uh, thanks for the cocoa."

"Right…"

He was about to leave when Emma had a sudden thought.

"Hold on. How'd you know it was Mrs. Nolan's car?"

Jim flushed. "I…I actually watched her leave the school that day, so I recognized the car. It sounds weird, but I just felt _bad_ for her, you know?"

"Yeah. More than you'd think."

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I received two anonymous reviews with questions in them, so I will answer their questions here.  
As stated in the summary, each chapter is a different moment with a different person. These moments are acting as missing pieces in the episodes (there are always clues about in which episode each chapter takes place), but they are also forming a story of my own. This will get become clearer in the later chapters where the plot will thicken and veer off from canon.  
And yes, Leroy and August will each get a chapter. Expect also to see Ruby, David, Regina, and Mr. Gold, as well as a few guest stars!


	11. Marco

Emma was pissed; she was already missing the Miners Day Festival because she was busy looking for Kathryn, but now the sheriff station's door was stuck. No amount of kicking and shoving would force the door in, and after she stubbed her toe really badly, she sat down on the curb.

"Perfect," she muttered as she reached for her cell phone.

"Emma?" She looked up to see Archie and Marco standing above her. "Is everything OK?" Archie asked.

"Yeah. I mean…no." She gestured to the door. "Something's wrong with the door and…"

Archie and Marco exchanged a look.

"We were on our way to the festival," Archie began, but Marco interrupted.

"Go on ahead, Archie. Our sheriff needs to be able to work."

After Archie left somewhat reluctantly, Marco headed towards the door.

"Let me see what I can do."

It took over an hour for him to get the old hinges to finally cooperate; Marco was a skilled carpenter, but even he couldn't fix broken and rusty parts without letting oil take its time. When they finally got into the building, Emma went to her office and turned on the hot water heater to make hot chocolate.

"Sorry I made you late to the festival, Marco," she said, turning the thermostat up. "It looks like a fun event."

"Oh, it is," he said wistfully, "but it is much better to enjoy it with children."

"I bet." Emma poured water in each cup and stirred, handing one to Marco. "Must have been great taking your kids there."

Marco stared into his cup, and Emma suddenly remembered.

"Oh…Marco, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot…"

"It's all right; you're still new here," he said. He stared into his cup a bit longer. "My wife and I…we tried to adopt. There was a boy, just seven years old. Perfect. We saw pictures. Everything was ready, but something went wrong. He never came to us. I always wonder what became of him." He shook his head as if waking from a dream.

"I'm sorry; you have more important things to do than to listen to a silly old man."

"No." Emma put her hand on Marco's. "It's OK. You can stay and talk as long as you want."

Marco smiled then turned to his cocoa. He drank it quickly, thanked Emma for it, and left. In a way, she was glad to see him go; listening to someone so desperate for a child and not being able to adopt broke her heart, but at the same time, it made her wonder why there was never a family who wanted _her_.


	12. Ruby

She didn't even have to ask what drink Emma wanted with that grilled cheese; she'd made hot chocolate with cinnamon so many times for her that Ruby could probably do it in her sleep.

She almost made it herself when she got to the diner because Granny almost forgot to add the cinnamon. Ruby had to remind her (which she did with relish, by the way), which made her feel superior for a moment, but on her way back to Emma's office, she realized she was just doing the same thing she always did: bring food to people.

Ruby felt worthless; compared to everyone else in the world, there was nothing she was good at, nothing she could do. She wished she could be like Emma; ever since she'd shown up in town, things were changing left and right. If Ruby could make even the smallest impact on someone like Emma's arrival had, she would be satisfied.

All her work was for nothing. Emma hadn't even looked at the food before packing it along with herself and Ruby back into the car and heading out to the woods. She left her cocoa sitting on the table. When they got back after finding David, even though Ruby felt good for helping, her self-esteem plummeted when she found the ice-cold drink sitting on the table. She threw it away before Emma could notice it.

That night, back at Mary Margaret's place, Ruby took a shower, scrubbed off all her makeup, and changed into pajamas. She wasn't tired yet, so she went to the living room and sat down, staring at the wall because she hadn't thought to bring anything to read.

"Homesick?" Emma asked as she walked in.

Ruby snorted. "Yeah, right."

"You look really different. You know, with the make-up all off."

"Yeah. I know."

Emma came over and sat down next to Ruby.

"It must be take a while to get it all off."

"Yeah."

"So why do you wear it?"

Ruby shrugged. "Like the way it looks."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "The truth."

Ruby gave her a scowl, then sighed. "It makes it look like I'm not afraid. Even when I am. It makes me believe I'm stronger."

"So you're hiding from who you really are?"

"What?" Ruby blinked. "Who I really am?"

"The smart, skilled, beautiful girl I see right now," Emma said. "There's nothing wrong with wearing strong makeup, but you shouldn't use it to hide. You need to embrace it, not let it overwhelm you."

"How…?"

"I had some ridiculous beauty ideas when I was younger. Just trust me on it."

"OK."

Emma sure was changing things in Storybrooke; that was the first time anyone had _ever _made Ruby blush.


	13. David

Emma watched him leave Kathryn's hospital room with narrowed eyes, and followed him to the elevator, blocking his way.

"David."

"Emma!" he said. "Hey, I was just going to get some coffee; do you…?"

Emma held up a Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate and shook her head.

"Oh, OK. I'll see you later then." He tried to move past her, but she refused to move.

"No, David, we need to talk."

"About what?" He inclined his head, bewilderment written all over his face. "Am I in some sort of trouble?"

"Not legally," Emma said, frowning. "I need to talk to you about Mary Margaret."

"Why? Does she want to see me?"

"I think you know the answer to that." She couldn't stand his too-hopeful eyes. "Look, you need to leave her alone. Figure out what you're going to do."

"I know what I'm going to do; I just need to talk to her…"

"No, with Kathryn. You need to figure things out with Kathryn."

"But—"

"David, she is your wife. I'm not going to judge you on your decision, but you owe Kathryn that courtesy. You owe it to both of them."

"…OK."

David walked away, but Emma could tell he didn't get it. She ended up gripping her cocoa so tightly that the cup broke, burning her hand.


	14. Leroy

This was a new low: Emma couldn't believe she had a nun in the back seat of the sheriff's car. It was unreal; she was convinced that when they finally reached the sheriff's station, she was going to be struck by lightning.

"All right, Sister?"

"I'm fine, Sheriff," Astrid said as she hopped out of the back seat. "Just take me in before somebody sees me."

"Right."

They ran into the station; Emma unlocked the doors to her office to get a few things while Astrid immediately ran to the jail cells.

"Astrid!" Leroy said, very surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Leroy, I'm so glad to see you're OK," Astrid said. "I'm posting bail for you."

"Really? But the convent, its budget?"

"I have an old savings account from before I…" She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll bail you out, Leroy, but you have to promise me something. No more public drunkenness."

Leroy smiled his most charming smile. "Anything for you, sister."

"All right." She smiled back just as sweetly. "I've been praying for you, you know."

The appropriate payments and paperwork done, Emma unlocked the cell door and let Leroy out.

"Want a ride back, Sister?"

"No, I'm fine. I think Leroy will walk me back."

"Sure thing, Astrid."

He held the door open for her to walk through, then turned to Emma and stuffed a twenty dollar bill into her hand.

"Here."

"Leroy, you can't—"

"Take it."

"It could be considered a bribe!"

"It's not," he said, staring right into her eyes. "It's a thank you. Buy yourself a drink, sister, because I owe you one." He stared after Astrid. "Naw. I owe you ten."

The next time Emma saw Leroy in the diner, she bought ten hot chocolates and sent them over to him. She was strangely delighted when she saw him split them with Mr. Clark, Harold, and some other men; if Leroy could make friends, anyone could.


	15. Jefferson

**Author's Notes**: The stories veer off from canon starting with this chapter.

* * *

Emma ran all the lights and stop signs on her way from Regina's house. Henry sat still and silent in the front seat, fighting to wake up.

"Henry, I've got to stop at the station to grab something. Just give me a second."

He nodded sleepily before snuggling into the seat and closing his eyes.

Emma unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. She ran over to her desk to grab her wallet and a few other things and shoved them into her purse. Glancing over the rest of the office, she was surprised to see a steaming mug of hot cocoa on her desk.

She didn't even think about the oddity of the situation; Emma sank into her desk chair and gratefully lifted the cup to her lips.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you," a voice from the doorway said.

Emma froze, the cup in mid-air.

"Who said that?" She stood up. "Henry?"

Jefferson stepped into the light, top hat in hand.

Emma gasped and dropped the mug. In a fluid motion, Jefferson donned his hat and caught the mug without spilling a single drop.

"You're in danger, Emma."

"Put the cup down, Jefferson," she said, hand already hovering over the handle of her gun. "You're under arrest."

"You couldn't arrest me if you tried," he said. "Because you'd have to catch me first."

"Cut the crap. How'd you get in here?"

Jefferson tipped his hat. "You got it to work."

"What?"

"Still choosing disbelief? When I jumped through the hat, I thought you would have realized." He stepped toward her. "The curse is real. Haven't you realized by now?" He took another step forward. "Worst of all, she knows it's breaking." He moved even closer yet, and Emma traced the handle of her gun with her fingertips. "She knows, and she'd go to nefarious lengths to stop you." He looked down at the cocoa suspiciously. "How do you know this isn't poisoned?"

"Why would someone try to poison me?" Emma said; her voice was shaking.

"Stop living in denial, Emma," he said. He was very close to her now, almost too close. "You know why." He bent and whispered into her ear. "And you know _who_."

Emma closed her eyes and shivered; she heard a rushing sound and a loud pop. When she opened her eyes, Jefferson was gone, but the hat was slowly spinning on the desk.

She dumped the cocoa out the window and ran back to the car to find Henry safe and fast asleep.

"All right, kid," she whispered. "I'm taking you back home. Just for a little while."


	16. August

She got Henry back to the mayor's house before morning; if Regina noticed he'd been gone in the night, it didn't show when she dropped him off at school that morning.

After making sure Henry wasn't in trouble and had arrived safely, Emma headed straight for Granny's and went up the stairs to August's room.

"August?" she said, knocking on the door. "It's me; I need to talk to you." He didn't respond, so she tried the handle. "Come on, just let me in."

The door opened suddenly, almost causing her to fall. She balked when she saw August; his skin was shiny with sweat, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"You look awful," she said.

"You don't look much better." He shut the door and stiffly walked back to his bed. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I want you to show me your leg again."

"What?"

"Show me what you tried to show me last night."

Realization dawned on his face. "Someone got through to you."

"Just show me!"

Carefully he bent over and pushed up the soft leg of his pajama pants, revealing the glossy varnished leg underneath it. He didn't have to look at Emma to know she saw it this time; the audible gasp was enough.

"So you believe."

"I do," she said, her face white with fear. "And I have no idea what I'm supposed to do." Her voice broke on the last word, and August got up from the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, don't worry about that yet. We'll start with what we know first." He pulled away so he could look at her face. "Come on, let's get some food, and we'll come back here and go over it all."

Emma gave August a look and pushed him back onto the bed. "_You_ are not going anywhere. _I_ will get food and be back here in ten minutes."

High noon found them still in his bedroom; August lay in bed as he studied his notebooks while Emma paced back and forth, nursing a hot chocolate and digesting the new information he'd read to her.

"This makes no sense, August. No sense at all."

"What, that you're the sole savior of an entire world made up of fairytale characters?"

"No! Well, yeah, but…" She paused to take a drink. "What can I do? I don't know how to use magic."

"As far as I can tell, all the research I've done…" August rubbed his hand over his chin. "It has to be something only you can do. You're the savior, so the way to break the curse is—" He gasped and fell back against his pillows, legs convulsing.

"August? August!" Emma ran over and grabbed his arm.

"I'm OK," he gasped. As the spasms died down, he breathed heavily, wincing with each movement. "The only way to break the curse…is to do something no one but you _would_ do." He closed his eyes, leaning back into the pillows. "And whatever it is, you'd better do it fast."


	17. Regina

Archie was really the one who came up with the idea. After Henry's therapy session, he'd chattered about confronting fears head-on, August had overheard him, and the next thing Emma knew, she was meeting Regina at eleven o'clock sharp in Granny's diner to discuss Henry.

She wasn't ready; August knew next to nothing about adoption and custody laws, Archie could only offer support by testifying in court, and no matter how many times Emma tried to sway him, Mr. Gold refused to help her.

So she sat in the diner, thirty minutes early, silently going over everything, anything, she could say that would make Regina give up Henry.

By the time the Mayor walked in, Emma's mind was blank.

"Sheriff Swan," Regina said, icy cool despite the sudden heat outside.

"Madame Mayor." She gestured to the booth seat across from her, and Regina grudgingly sat.

"So I heard that you're leaving Storybrooke?" she began.

Emma frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Dr. Whale. He was passing by your neighborhood and saw you packing your car with suitcases."

"He did?" Emma shook her head, unable to hold back her laughter.

"I fail to see how this is humerous."

"I'm not leaving Storybrooke," she explained. "I'm looking for an apartment."

Regina's eyes widened; for a split second, Emma thought she saw fear battle anger behind the façade, but whatever happened, Regina quickly composed herself and smiled.

"Sheriff Swan, would you like a drink?" she offered. "Apple cider? Knowing you, you'll want something stronger."

"No, um…cocoa's fine. Ruby knows how I like it."

Regina went up to the bar to get the drinks; Emma was already suspicious, but when there was a slight pause from when Ruby put the drinks on the counter and when Regina turned around with the cups in hand, Emma knew something was up.

"This one is yours," Regina said, pushing the cup across the table. "Ruby was sure to point it out since it's…_special_."

Emma looked down at it then at Regina's. "You got the same thing?"

Regina nodded. Suddenly, Jefferson's words echoed inside Emma's brain. _How do you know this isn't poisoned?_

She slowly raised the cup to her lips, but hesitated. She could smell the cinnamon, but what if that was masking something else? Something deadly?

She looked at Regina, who stared back, then moved her eyes somewhere over Regina's shoulder. Regina fell for it and turned to follow Emma's gaze, giving Emma just enough time to switch the cups without Regina noticing.

The mayor turned back around and smirked at Emma before picking up her cup and taking a sip. Emma did the same, but just as the cocoa passed her lips, Regina smiled too brightly.

_She wanted me to switch the cups_.

Emma spit the cocoa back into the cup and slammed down on the table, but before she could say anything, Regina froze in horror, then began gasping for air.

"What the hell?" Emma jumped up; Regina was white as a sheet and struggling to breathe. "Ruby, call 911!" she yelled just as the mayor passed out on the table.

The paramedics arrived and whisked her to the hospital. After all the commotion had died down, and the two mugs of cocoa had been tested, the truth was discovered: there _was_ poison in one of the cups, but Regina didn't drink from that one. It was her severe allergy to cinnamon that had almost killed her.


	18. Moe & Rose

As soon as the citizens of Storybrooke realized their mayor was in a coma, an emergency election was held for the position for temporary mayor. Emma was unanimously chosen to act as mayor and was immediately swamped with all sorts of responsibilities. It was a lot of work running a small town; she had city council meetings to lead, paperwork to file, and the small everyday concerns of the people to handle.

The first week went fine, but then the earthquake happened. No one was hurt, but the power was knocked out for a few hours and the hospital generator was damaged. Suddenly, the mayor's phone was abuzz with calls from the hospital: it turned out Regina was the emergency contact for quite a lot of patients besides David.

Apparently, one patient wasn't ever supposed to be found. The nurse had called the ICE number, unaware that Emma would get the call, and after a very confused confrontation culminating with her threatening to arrest some hospital staff, she'd brought the patient—Rose French, Moe's daughter—over to Archie's office to have her checked out.

She made hot chocolate in the little kitchenette and offered a cup to Moe, who was waiting nervously in the hallway.

"Thanks," he said, taking the cup slowly with his good arm. He wasn't wearing his neck brace anymore, but his ribs were still healing, so he winced with every movement. Emma sat down next to him and slowly sipped at her own cocoa.

"They've been in there a while," Moe said suddenly. "Almost an hour."

"It's going to take a bit longer than usual," Emma explained. "He's revised it to ask only yes-or-no questions."

Moe stared at his feet. Rose hadn't said a word since she'd come out of the hospital.

"I didn't know Rosie was in there," he said. "I can't even remember how long ago it was when she got sick, but I was told…" Tears started streaming down his cheeks. "They told me she went crazy. That she got a knife and…" He couldn't continue. "If I'd known…if I'd only known…"

As Emma awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, careful not to push down too hard, the door opened, and Rose walked out.

"Rosie!" Moe said, running up to her and grabbing her hand. She looked up at him and smiled a little, causing Moe's face to break into a huge grin.

"How is she?" Emma asked Archie.

"Just fine," Archie said, looking over his notes. "She's obviously been through quite a lot of trauma, but she's quite sane." He leaned a little closer to Emma. "Almost too sane considering how horrible her conditions were; who knows how long she was locked up in there?"

"That poor girl…so will she ever speak again?"

"I think so; it's not that she can't communicate. She wrote a few sentences out for me when nodding wasn't enough. At one point, though, she laughed without sound. I think her voice might just be out of practice."

Emma shuddered. "But she'll be OK?"

Archie shrugged. "Time will tell."

Moe made arrangements for Rose to continue seeing Archie for follow-up consultations and then took her home with him that night. Emma worried about her for a few nights, but then her mayor and sheriff duties reclaimed her attention. There was so much to be done.

In her third week as acting mayor, she delighted the citizens by agreeing to fund the reopening of the Storybrooke Library, an initiative that had been on the back burner for as long as everyone could remember. While she was going through the first few applications for library staff, she was surprised to see "Rosie French" typed out at the top of the second résumé.

She picked up the application and read it quickly, then started laughing out loud. Regardless of whatever Archie said, anyone who wrote "my voice still doesn't work so there'd be no worries about accidentally being too loud" as a qualification for a librarian position was either crazy or hilarious. Emma, inclined to believe it was the latter, made sure to put Rose's application at the top of the stack.


	19. Mr Gold

The one duty Regina had that Emma couldn't take over was motherhood. Henry was staying with Archie, the listed emergency caretaker, until Regina got out of the hospital, but Emma hadn't given up on getting Henry back.

It would have been a lot easier if she could have actually found the adoption records, but they were missing. Regina probably had them very well hidden. Until then, Emma was going to study every single law in the books to see if there was some loophole, some other way she could help Henry get away from Regina.

She sat in the diner most mornings, eating her pancakes while hunched over the giant copy of the town charter. Most people knew not to bother her while she was reading, but then again, Mr. Gold wasn't anything like most people.

"Well, would you look at that?" he said, startling her into knocking over her cocoa. The liquid immediately began soaking into the book, and Emma swore loudly.

"What the hell, Gold?" she shouted, trying to mop up the brown stains on the pages with the flimsy disposable napkins. "That's a library book!"

"Then you know about the library reopening," Gold said, handing her a slightly more absorbent handkerchief. "I should have known the acting mayor would have had a hand in that."

"Yeah," Emma said, examining her work. "Hired the new librarian too…she's going to _kill_ me when she sees this."

"I did startle you, Sheriff. Surely our new librarian would understand if I explained this."

"I don't think so. Rosie didn't even want to let me take the book out of the library." She put money on the table and packed up the damaged book. "I'm on my way to the library now, so if you could just tell me what you wanted…"

"Curious coincidence, Sheriff, but I'm also on my way to the library," Gold said, clearly indicating that he would like to walk with her. "After all, I've yet to meet my newest tenant."

"Save you the walk," Emma said, pointing over his shoulder to Rose French standing at the diner counter. "She's right there."

Gold turned, ready to make some snide remark, but he shocked her by dropping his cane and then freezing in place. She was about to ask if something was wrong, but the look on his face told her she had better not pry. When she left the diner, Gold was still standing frozen, staring at Rose as she ran over to pick up his cane and hand it back to him.

A week later, Emma opened the door to find a manila envelope on the doorstep. When she opened it, she found Henry's adoption records and several other documents detailing adoption laws, some of which were highlighted. It was everything she needed.

Emma sat down on the floor in shock and glanced at the envelope again. There was no address on it. She turned it over and shook it. A small note fell out. Emma unfolded it and read it.

"This should be everything you need to get started. I'm picking this battle."


	20. The End or Henry Again

**Author's Notes**: This is the final (and longest) chapter; I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it.

* * *

Regina woke up from her coma on a Sunday, and by Tuesday, she had not only resigned as mayor but she'd signed over full custody of Henry. Emma never found out exactly what Mr. Gold said to her in the hospital on Monday, but she wasn't about to argue with the results.

Regardless of whatever Gold did, Regina didn't have a chance of keeping Henry; after going through the adoption records, Emma found out that he had never been legally adopted; her signature on the form giving him up was legitimate, but nothing after that had been. She wisely decided not to question how exactly Gold had got those files; she had more pressing concerns.

August was getting worse. He was wooden up to his waist; he no longer had to eat, but if the wood spread up any further, he would be unable to breathe. August didn't know if he would die then or if he would only die once he was completely made of wood, but either way, he and Emma were getting very worried.

"There has to be something we're forgetting," he said. "Obviously taking Regina out wasn't it."

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "I guess I couldn't change anything after all."

"That's not true. You just haven't broken the curse yet," August replied. "Look around, and tell me you don't see a new Storybrooke."

He was right, of course; Regina's resignation had rocked the town to its core. Emma refused to continue as mayor, so another election was held. Kathryn surprised everyone by deciding to run; with Jim as her campaign manager, she easily defeated Sidney, who had only recently been released from the hospital and only ran half-heartedly.

Rosie French started a special story time program for children at the library. The first weekend, Henry joined Ava, Nicholas, and Paige in listening to her read the stories of Zeus and Hercules and the other Greek gods. Emma couldn't figure out why Mr. Gold was also present at story time, but when she thought about it, she realized she didn't want to know.

Ashley and Sean had a small but beautiful wedding the same day David and Kathryn got their marriage annulled. Mary Margaret was hesitant at first, but when David told her he understood if she didn't want to get back together and that he only wanted her happiness, she softened, and things between them got serious—so serious that Emma was wondering if she'd need to get her own place soon.

She was pondering this when Archie came over one night to discuss Henry's living situation.

"He's been living with me for quite some time, but he needs a permanent home." He looked at Emma. "He needs a parent."

Mary Margaret put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Are you ready for that? It's a huge responsibility."

"I am."

It happened almost overnight; she just had to sign a few papers and get a short statement from Archie. The next thing Emma knew, Henry was hers and they were moving a few of his suitcases into Mary Margaret's place.

"It's just for now," Emma explained. "We'll get our own place soon."

"I don't mind," Henry said. "I'm just happy I get to live with you."

He settled in quickly. Mary Margaret helped out, often being the one to put Henry to bed while Emma did her late night patrolling, so it wasn't until Sunday that Emma was finally the one to tuck Henry in.

"Here," she said, holding out matching mugs of cinnamon hot chocolate. "Little treat before bed."

"You don't have to patrol tonight?" Henry asked, immediately taking a gulp and getting a whipped cream mustache.

"Nope," Emma said, doing the same thing. They laughed at each other for a bit before Henry looked back at his book.

"You know, we still haven't made it past stage one of Operation Cobra," he said suddenly. "I never figured out who everyone is."

"Well, August is Pinocchio."

Henry's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really. That's why he and Marco get along so well."

"Archie doesn't like him though," Henry said solemnly. "Not since he crashed his motorcycle while giving Ruby a ride."

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "When did _that_ happen?"

"A few weeks ago. I think Archie wishes he had a motorcycle."

"I'm sure," Emma said, trying to hide her confusion. "Done with your cocoa?"

"Mm-hm!"

"OK, bed time then."

After he'd brushed his teeth and climbed into bed, Henry sat with his book still open in his lap.

"Emma, will you read me a story?"

"Uh, sure. Which one?"

"Whatever you want."

"How about Sleeping Beauty? It might give you some ideas," she teased.

She read Sleeping Beauty and then a tale of a little mermaid who traded her fins for legs and then continued on about a girl in a tower with long hair she used as a ladder. When Emma finished, Henry's eyes were half-shut.

"I hope the curse breaks soon," he mumbled.

"Me too, kid." She arranged the blankets just right and turned off the light. As she started to move away, Henry said, "Emma?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Emma's heart caught in her chest.

"I…I love you too, Henry." Impulsively, she bent forward and kissed his forehead.

And just like that, the curse broke.


End file.
